Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 468 · 40 questions

Writing tip (Main idea first): Read the detail sentences and ask: what are they ALL about? The topic sentence names that main idea in one sentence. A sentence about a different topic cannot open the paragraph, however nice it sounds.

1. 1.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The railway station is always busy.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We must not waste water.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
9. 9.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   An old banyan tree stands in our village. Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) the old banyan tree (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) our pet cat
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The vegetable market near our house opens early. Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) saving water (b) the vegetable market (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
12. 12.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    A fair comes to our village every winter. There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) making a rangoli (b) flying kites (c) the village fair (d) the vegetable market
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
15. 15.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The peacock is the national bird of India. It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) ants (b) grandma's garden (c) the peacock (d) making a rangoli
16. 16.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Elephants are the biggest land animals. They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) the vegetable market (b) elephants (c) our classroom (d) the village fair
17. 17.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The railway station is always busy. Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) our school sports day (b) a busy railway station (c) ants (d) a cricket match
18. 18.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) a busy railway station (c) the vegetable market (d) a visit to an old fort
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
20. 20.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) our pet cat (b) my grandfather (c) eating healthy food (d) a day at the beach
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We must not waste water.
23. 23.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We must not waste water. Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) my new bicycle (b) making a rangoli (c) flying kites (d) saving water
24. 24.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) our pet cat (b) saving water (c) the peacock (d) our classroom
25. 25.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The night sky is full of wonders. Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) ants (b) the night sky (c) my new bicycle (d) a visit to an old fort
26. 26.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ramesh is the postman in our area. He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) grandma's garden (b) our postman (c) my best friend (d) elephants
27. 27.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandmother has a lovely garden. Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) saving water (b) my grandfather (c) the vegetable market (d) grandma's garden
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
33. 33.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our school library is my favourite place. It has tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) a visit to an old fort (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) our trip to the zoo
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The railway station is always busy.
35. 35.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) eating healthy food (b) elephants (c) our classroom (d) a cricket match
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
37. 37.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our classroom is bright and clean. It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) a day at the beach (b) our classroom (c) the night sky (d) elephants
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
39. 39.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ants are tiny but very hard-working. They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) grandma's garden (b) the village fair (c) making a rangoli (d) ants
40. 40.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandfather is seventy years old. My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) a visit to an old fort (b) our school sports day (c) my grandfather (d) the rainy season

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